1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to bottles used to contain liquids and, more particularly, is concerned with an insert assembly for changing the temperature of a quantity of liquid contained in a bottle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Young children are often fed formula dispensed from a bottle. Generally, a parent heats the formula before feeding it to their child. However, sometimes the formula is heated too much. This overheated formula must be cooled before the child drinks it. To cool overheated formula, parents often resort to inefficient, time-consuming and frustrating measures such as placing the formula bottle in cool water. While this method works, a more efficient method which employs a reusable cooling device is available.
Several devices exist for cooling liquids which include hollow inserts or the like filled with frozen or cooled material. The hollow inserts extend downward from caps or covers placed on the liquid container into the liquid to be cooled. Examples of such devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,954,369 to Solomon, U.S. Pat. No. 4,531,383 to Zimmermann and U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,238 to Schwartz. Heat is transferred from the warmer liquid to the frozen insert thereby warming the insert and cooling the liquid. As with the device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,238 to Schwartz, some inserts can be removed from the liquid and placed in a freezer to freeze the material in the insert. The insert can then be used again to cool additional liquids. Such reusable devices represent an efficient and effective means for cooling liquids, including formula. However, a major drawback of prior art devices is that the inserts can become contaminated when placed in a freezer. While a contaminated insert can be rinsed in warm water to clean it, doing so prematurely begins melting of the frozen material in the insert thereby reducing its effectiveness.
Consequently, a need still exists for a device to cool liquids, such as formula, in a manner that is both effective and sanitary.